When an employee has been absent or anticipates being absent for more than five consecutive workdays, Alief ISD requires an application for a district medical leave of absence.

Employee Leave Steps:

1. Employees are required to provide 30 days advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need is foreseeable. If providing 30 days notice is not possible, the employee must notify their supervisor as soon as practicable and comply with Alief ISD's standard call-in procedures.

2. To initiate the leave process, the employee must complete the online form (Employee Request for Leave Application) and forward the confirmation email to their supervisor and campus/department secretary. 

3. Employees must have their attending physician complete and sign the medical certification form and submit it to Risk Management Specialist. Forms not signed by the physician will be returned to the employee. Please click on the link below for the appropriate medical certification form:

• Employee’s Serious Health Condition (Form WH-380-E) – includes maternity

• Family Member’s Serious Health Condition (Form WH-380-F)

• Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Service member for Military Family Leave (Form WH-385)

• Certification of Qualifying Exigency For Military Family Leave (Form WH-384) (this form does not need to be completed by a healthcare provider)

• Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave (Form WH-385-V)

• Temporary Disability Leave (this leave is available to individuals who have been with the district for less than one year and/or have worked less than 1250 hours prior to the leave)

Leaves are processed as quickly as possible. However, please note that we cannot process a leave without all required documents.

Employee Return from Leave Steps:

• The employee must obtain a medical release and submit it to the Risk Management Specialist at least two days before returning to work. Employees will not be permitted to return to work without a release from their attending physician. All medical releases with restrictions or limitations must be reviewed and approved by Risk Management before the employee is allowed to return to work.

• For questions regarding employee leaves, you may email us  or call to (281) 498-8110 ext. 29153.

Types of Leave 

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - Leave is Protected

FMLA is available to employees who have been employed by the District for 12 months and have worked 1250 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding the need for leave. This leave can be used for maternity, illness of a member of the immediate family (mother, father, spouse, and children), or illness of the employee. The term "parent" does NOT include a parent-in-law. The term "son or daughter" includes individuals 18 years or older if they are "incapable of self-care" due to a mental or physical disability that limits one or more "major life activities."

Maximum duration: 12 workweeks

Intermittent or Reduced Schedule Leave

Intermittent or Reduced Schedule Leave is available to an employee to take time off in separate blocks or reduce their regular work hours, when medically necessary due to a serious health condition of their own or a qualifying family member; essentially, taking leave sporadically rather than in one continuous period.  EX: frequent medical appointments or managing a chronic illness with periodic flare-ups.

• The District does not permit the use of intermittent or reduced schedule FMLA leave for the care of a newborn child or for the adoption or placement of a child with the employee. [See DECA(LEGAL) for the use of intermittent or reduced schedule leave due to medical necessity.]

Maximum duration: 60 workdays

Temporary Disability Leave (TDL) - Leave is Not Protected

This leave is only for full-time employees who have exhausted FMLA or have been with the District for less than one year. This leave is for the illness of the employee only.

Maximum duration: 180 calendar days

*Important Employee Information* 

• Alief ISD does not offer paid leave. An employee is paid for any accrued state and local leave days. For instance, if an employee has 20 accrued days and is out for 24 days, the "sick leave" days will be deducted from the accrued state and local leave days; therefore, the employee will not be paid for the remaining 4 days. Please contact HR Records with any questions regarding leave days and/or salary information when taking a medical leave of absence. Employees are responsible for their insurance premiums while on leave and will be invoiced if they are no longer receiving a paycheck.

• In order to earn a year of membership service credit with TRS, you must work in a TRS-eligible position or receive paid leave from a TRS-eligible position for at least 90 days during the school year. For more information, please call TRS at 1-800-223-8778.